Forest Peoples Programme

Forest Peoples Programme
Name	Forest Peoples Programme
Formation	1990
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Moreton-in-Marsh, United Kingdom
Region served	Global, with focus on Amazon, Congo Basin, Southeast Asia, Central America
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Robin Slee (as of 2020s)

Forest Peoples Programme

The Forest Peoples Programme is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1990 that supports the rights of indigenous peoples and forest-dependent communities across the Amazon rainforest, Congo Basin, Borneo, and Central America. It works through legal advocacy, policy engagement, and community capacity-building with partners including indigenous federations, conservation NGOs, regional human rights bodies, and international institutions. The organisation engages with instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the International Labour Organization Convention 169 to advance collective land rights and customary tenure.

History

The organization emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s amid global debates over tropical deforestation, biodiversity loss, and indigenous rights following events like the Rio Earth Summit and the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Founders and early collaborators included activists linked to Survival International, Amnesty International, and regional networks such as the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin who sought sustained engagement with agencies like the World Bank and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Over the 1990s and 2000s the organisation expanded field support across regions affected by projects financed by institutions such as the European Investment Bank, bilateral donors like the Department for International Development (UK), and multilateral programmes including REDD+ initiatives influenced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports. Key moments in its history intersect with landmark processes including litigation at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, policy reform in countries such as Peru, Indonesia, Cameroon, and participation in United Nations fora on indigenous affairs.

Mission and Objectives

The Programme's mission emphasizes securing recognition of customary land tenure, promoting free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), and defending collective rights through strategic litigation, policy advocacy, and rights-based development. Objectives reference instruments and bodies including UN Human Rights Council mechanisms, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, and regional indigenous federations like the National Federation of Indigenous Women of Peru. The organisation frames its goals within international agreements such as the Nagoya Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and ILO Convention 169 to effect juridical and policy change at national and international levels.

Programmes and Activities

Activities combine legal assistance, mapping and documentation, capacity-building, and international advocacy. Legal teams collaborate with partners on cases before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the European Court of Human Rights where appropriate, and national courts. Mapping initiatives employ community mapping practices linked to tools promoted by Global Forest Watch, OpenStreetMap, and participatory approaches piloted with groups such as the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization. Conservation and tenure work intersects with actors like WWF, Conservation International, and community federations including the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador. Climate justice engagement involves dialogues with the Green Climate Fund, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations, and civil society coalitions around REDD+ safeguards. Capacity-building supports indigenous organizations in countries such as Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Philippines, and Guatemala.

Structure and Governance

The organisation is governed by a board of trustees and an executive management team with regional advisers and legal specialists placed across continents. Governance arrangements reference best practices recommended by bodies like the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the European Commission funding frameworks. Partnerships with indigenous federations, community organisations, and coalitions such as the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs shape programmatic priorities. Staff profiles often include expertise in international human rights law, environmental law, and participatory mapping with affiliations to institutions such as Oxford University, University of London, and regional universities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding historically comes from a mix of foundations, bilateral donors, and charitable trusts including grantmakers similar to the Ford Foundation, the Oak Foundation, and European development agencies. Project partnerships include alliances with Rainforest Foundation UK, Forest Stewardship Council processes in dialogue settings, and networks such as the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities. The organisation engages with multilateral funds and development banks like the World Bank on policy advocacy while maintaining direct collaboration with national indigenous organizations and federations across the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia.

Impact and Criticism

The Programme has contributed to legal victories and policy shifts recognizing customary tenure and influence over conservation design, with reported advances in territories linked to cases before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and national reform in countries including Peru and Cameroon. Impact assessments reference collaborations with academic partners such as University College London and evaluation frameworks used by the Overseas Development Institute. Criticism directed at the organisation has included debates over engagement with conservation NGOs like Conservation International and multilateral mechanisms such as REDD+ where some indigenous groups and scholars from institutions like the University of Melbourne and Yale University have questioned the implications of market-based mechanisms and partnerships with donors. Ongoing discussions involve balancing advocacy, grassroots autonomy, and donor requirements in contexts shaped by extractive industry interests including actors linked to mining and palm oil sectors in regions affected by tenure disputes.

Category:International non-governmental organizations